Jul. 26, 2016, 9:49 a.m.

Rochelle D. Ventura, at her home in L.A.'s Beverly Grove neighborhood. She tried several years ago to get approval to build a secondary unit in her backyard, but she was denied by the city. (Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times)

With Gov. Jerry Brown's plan to speed approval for developments that include units for low-income Californians facing stiff opposition, state lawmakers' answer to the housing crisis this year might turn out to be a very small one.

Multiple bills with Brown's endorsement are working their way through the Legislature to make it easier for homeowners to build a second unit in their backyards. It's a way, proponents say, to add housing quickly and cheaply compared to big projects, and the measures have so far received broad support among lawmakers.

Jul. 27, 2016, 9:01 p.m.

A high-profile effort to extend and expand California's decade-old climate change law may face an uncertain future next month in the state Capitol, but it has broad conceptual support in a statewide poll released Wednesday night.

About 68% of adults surveyed by the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California said they supported a proposal that would require the state's greenhouse gas emissions to be 40% below 1990 levels by the year 2040.

The current law, signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2006, mandates a reduction down to the 1990 greenhouse gas levels by 2020.

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Jul. 27, 2016, 9:00 p.m.

Half of California’s likely Republican voters and a third of independents said they wouldn't vote for either candidate in the state’s U.S. Senate race this November, according to a new poll by the Public Policy Institute of California.

The survey found that 28% of all likely California voters said they didn’t support state Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris or Orange County Rep. Loretta Sanchez, and 14% said they were undecided. Harris and Sanchez are Democrats.

Among those backing a candidate, 38% of likely voters supported Harris, compared with 20% for Sanchez.

Jul. 27, 2016, 3:55 p.m.

A Carlsbad businessman has launched a referendum drive aimed at overturning a law signed last week that would require anyone building homemade firearms to obtain a serial number for the gun and undergo a background check.

Arthur Aguilar, one of several activists who opposed the bill, filed papers with the state attorney general's office to obtain a title and summary for a referendum petition to be circulated during the next two months. He could not be immediately reached for comment.

Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday signed AB 857, a bill by Assemblyman Jim Cooper (D-Elk Grove) that is aimed at allowing the state to track so-called ghost guns, those made at home without any serial number or registration.

Jul. 26, 2016, 6:21 p.m.

One of two homes destroyed on North Canyon Road, where one person died. (Irfan Khan/Los Angeles Times)

Less than a day after starting his first stint as California's acting governor, state Supt. of Public Instruction Tom Torlakson declared states of emergency on Tuesday in two counties dealt a huge blow by devastating wildfires.

The proclamations in response to the Sand fire in Los Angeles County and the Soberanes fire in Monterey County enable quicker response by state and local officials to the residents affected by the blazes.

Jul. 26, 2016, 11:48 a.m.

A political committee funded by oil companies has launched ads on the Internet attacking state Sen. Connie Leyva of Chino for opposing the reelection of Assemblywoman Cheryl Brown of San Bernardino, a fellow Democrat, and questioning Levya’s party loyalty.

A spokesman for Leyva shot back that the ads are "racially divisive" and "reprehensible."

The advertisements on YouTube are the latest episode in a skirmish that has divided Democrats in the state over Brown, a moderate who helped stall a provision of last year's climate change bill that would have cut petroleum use significantly in California.